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Dion will ensure the world knows the majority of Canadians disagree with Steve on climate change.

Posted by Scott Tribe on November 30, 2007, at 5:02 pm |

I’d just like to repeat what I’ve read elsewhere on this topic and say I think it’s absolutely a stroke of brilliance that Dion is going to go to Bali next month – out of his own pocket if necessary – to the United Nations climate change talks to ensure that the rest of the world knows that Stephen Harper does not speak for the majority of Canadians on climate change.

Dion is well known by most of these world delegations from the Montreal climate change meetings, and its generally agreed by observers he was well regarded, so he will certainly have the ability to have more then a few people’s ear in Bali, and that message will be not to let Harper and Baird stall or resist real climate-change targets.

17 comments to Dion will ensure the world knows the majority of Canadians disagree with Steve on climate change.

If the situations were reversed, and it was Stephen Harper going to Bali, the left would be labeling it as a stunt of epic proportions..notwithstanding the fact that Stephane Dion has little or no credibility on this file with anyone other than liberals..

Will he punch his fist in the air when he arrives..signifying ..what?
His and the liberal parties failures to do anything on this file, even with consecutive majorities?

Why doesn’t Dion just admit that the liberals never had any intention of acting on this file? Why does he not just admit, as one of his MP’s stated, [par] that Canadians are going to scream when they find out the true costs of Kyoto?

I was thinking as I stepped onto the subway train this morning (having read a couple Globe & Mail letters to the editor) that it might be a great idea for the Liberals to send someone anyway. I didn’t realize Dion had planned this.

Great news that D ion is going to Bali. Because of so many other distractions, the environment file slipped a little away from him during his first year as leader. Bali will give Dion the opportunity to regain the initiative on the file. Lord knows the Harper people don’t have a handle on it.

Personally, I would like to know how Dion can possibly justify the carbon footprint he will leave by taking a jet to Bali when he has no official role to play there. How is the Liberal Party going to offset this cost in carbon credits?

Actually, the most recent paper I read dealing with consensus among scientists deals with the geographical distribution and my initial read (not through all 130+ pages) is that there is no material bias (I am a Quantitative analyst BTW so statistics isn’t lost on me). The startling conclusion is that there is little to no consensus.

This is what frustrates me about the topic Greg. The argument is largely a political one, not a pragmatic nor scientific one. From my perspective, it is an avenue to which many to the left see as an opportunity to redistribute wealth. Why allocate none of the responsibility to developing economies? What would stop producers in the first world from moving operations to the third world? What does allocation of reduction targets have to do with climate change anyway?

Reducing supply only creates inflationary pressures in a sector anyways. Health care is a perfect example, where additional money has created nothing but health care inflation.

If we are going to cite science as a reason, what is wrong with looking to science as a solution? Would the world not be better off collaborating on projects that will solve emission problems (the building of a fusion generator in France is a perfect example of a worthy project that should be replicated in other fields).

Okay…. Mr. Dion was only Environment Minister for 18 months, but the Liberal government that signed Kyoto was in power for 13 years. Mr. Dion was in that government for about 8 years of that 13 if I am not mistaken. It’s not like Mr. Dion all of a sudden became a Liberal when he became Environment Minister. He was at the cabinet table over that period of time, therefore it’s perfect acceptable to tie him to those increased emissions. Plus, isn’t it hypocritical to run for the Liberal Leadership on the Environment, and then when he gets the true record pointed out to him to say he had nothing to do with it??? Sorry, you can’t have it both way.

La Nina that typically follows El Nino.
As for my "denier nonsense", I bow to your advance degrees in Climatology. I am not worthy to stand in your presence.
I suppose you must be one of the 25 out of 62 UN Scientists who didn’t file a critical review of the IPCC report section that claims to prove that man is causing Global warming. You know…the Scientists who reviewed the chapter. Your colleagues must be deniers as well.

First of all, Dion was environment minister for ONLY 18 MONTHS. After the Environment Commissioner at the time gave her report, she was interviewed (I watched it) and she said that Dion has some very promising intiatives and plans – these are the ones Harper cancelled – and when she gave a bad report on Harper’s plans – well, by gosh, she suddenly lost her job.

Harper has been PM for the same amount of time and what has been accomplished? Nadda.

I read that Al Gore will also be at the Bali Summit – and we know how Harper and his gang of puppetheads misrepresented Al Gore’s view of their plans to badly he had to respond to them.

" Aren’t you happy to be in Bali fighting global warming while Canada is entering the coldest winter in 10 years?"

The first winter with below average temperatures since 1995, as a by-product of a very persistent La Nina. Think about that for a second, when you are done with your denier nonsense. That means that the last 11 winters have been above average, now this one. Which one is an anomaly, and which ones point to a trend? Only an idiot would trumpet one season to support their thesis, I prefer the trends.

As an aside, I hope it is a very cold winter, especially in BC. The best remedy for the pine beetle infestation is a prolonged cold spell.

Well….I don’t see the majority of Canadians backing Dion in any weight shape or form….so for that kind of statment that the majority of Canadians think Dion is right on the environment is kinda like false advertising……but then again politicians in our country are big on the whole do and I say not as I do sorta bandwagon latley…..and that goes for everyone.

Baird’s excuse for not allowing the opposition to join the official delegation – something to the effect that they didn’t want to politicize the event – is surely going to bite him in the ass once the foreign press wants to talk to Dion about whatever in hell is going on in Canada. I expect it’s going to become ‘political’ as hell.

It wasn’t entirely under Dion’s watch, but since we are asking questions, I have one too. "Mr. Baird, can you provide us with ONE independent study, by any group, domestic or international, to support your claims as they relate to your climate plan?"

I’d like to be a reporter in Bali. I’d ask Dion one simple question . . . "Mr. Dion, you were environment minister of Canada and emissions went up over 30% under your watch. Have you had a change of heart or is this a publicity stunt?"